After delivering its first live-action spinoff, The Continental, the rapidly expanding John Wick universe is making the leap to anime. Chad Stahelski, the director behind all four of the powerhouse Keanu Reeves films, recently announced that a John Wick animated series is in the works. Unlike The Continental, Stahelski will be personally involved in the project that will heavily into the medium that’s a perfect fit for the high-octane action of the gun-slinging assassin’s world.
The John Wick anime series is still in very early development, but here’s what we know so far thanks to Stahelski opening the door on the curious project that’s being kept tightly under wraps. For now.
Plot
Not much is known about the plot of the John Wick anime series, but here’s what director Chad Stahelski recently told The Discourse Podcast about his hopes for the project. Via Collider:
“So we’re really looking forward to that; we’re really excited about it because we’re doing that and a Japanese anime because I love Japanese anime so much. So to create all the cool stories that anime could achieve better than we could and the TV show to expand our world, we’ll still get our fix, you know what I mean? And we’ll still have all the fun.”
According to ScreenRant, the project reportedly stems from Stahelski wanting to take a more hands-on approach to future John Wick spinoffs after not being able to be involved with The Continental.
Cast
Casting information for the anime series has not been revealed. Although, the John Wick world has plenty of badass characters to choose from with actors who could most likely voice their animated versions. Locking down Keanu Reeves would a huge get, and not out of the realm of possibility if the anime series explores the time before and/or between the films.
Release Date
According to Stahelski, Lionsgate has yet to partner with an animation studio for the project, so the John Wick anime series is presumably still a ways off. Late 2024 would be a best case scenario, but 2025 is looking like the more likely release window. A streaming platform has not been confirmed either, so there are still a few pieces that need to be locked in.
Trailer
With the John Wick anime series still very much in its infancy, there is no release date or promotional material available for the project as of this writing. But we’ll keep you posted.